FYZICAL Therapy and Balance Centers launches a fall prevention awareness initiative around the importance of reducing fall risks for the country’s older population, beginning September 23 — the first day of Fall.
September 23 begins National Falls Prevention Awareness Week and also serves as National Falls Prevention Awareness Day.

During the first 30 days of Fall (September 23 – October 22), FYZICAL teams across the US will offer free fall risk assessments and underscore the importance of a risk assessment based on key statistics provided by the National Council on Aging and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

  • One in four adults over the age of 65 falls, and the risk of falling increases with age.
  • Nearly all hip fractures are caused by falls, and 53% of adults discharged for a fall related hip fracture will fall again within six months.
  • Falls account for 40% of all nursing home admissions.
  • Every 11 seconds, an older adult is treated in the ER for a fall.
  • Every 19 minutes, an older adult will die from a fall.
  • The financial toll for older adult falls is expected to increase as the population ages and may reach $67.7 billion by 2020.

“With technology, information and science, we can educate older adults and their caregivers on the importance of understanding the risks associated with falls,” FYZICAL CEO Brian Belmont says in a media release. “It’s our mission to provide valuable information that has the potential to save lives.”

[Source(s): FYZICAL Therapy and Balance Centers, PR Newswire]